The untold story of a Death Eater
by Jrmungandr
Summary: Walden Macnair supported Voldemort, and payed the price for it, but who was he before? What turned him down a dark path? Our story follows a young Walden, in his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where things begin to unfold.


"Everything has to come to an end, sometime."  
>-L. Frank Baum<p>

**Hogwarts , November 1972**

"Thank you boys, you have a good night now," Professor Slughorn called sleepily from behind a partially closed door to two Slyterin boys, sixth year Lucius Malfoy and fifth year Walden Macnair, as they were the last one's to leave. They had stayed behind to ask the Professor a few questions, and, being the Head of Slytherin, Slughorn had been all too happy to answer. Slug Club had ended at Midnight, but now it was one o'clock in the morning.

"Good thing I asked Slughorn about undetectable charms, that sod in Gryffindor won't know what hit him," Lucius said maliciously, smirking at Walden who wasn't paying attention. "What's the matter with you? You usually love violence."

Walden reacted as if the question was impossible to fathom, screwing his face up for a moment in thought and then, as if on the brink of finding the answer, thought better to keep it to himself.

Lucius sighed loudly, "Is this about this Meryl again?"

"Mary," Walden corrected him.

Lucius seethed. He loathed Mary. She was a smug little mudblood with an obnoxious accent and, unfortunately, Walden's childhood friend. Although she had been placed in Ravenclaw and Walden in Slytherin, they remained insufferably inseparable. No matter what Lucius said or did, Walden insisted that she was an exception. Now, to Lucius's disappointment, Walden had grown a nasty infatuation for her.

"Who care's?" Lucius said in a droll tone.

They didn't speak for a while as they descended into the dungeons of Hogwarts until Walden spoke up.

"Did you see her in there? She looked... well her eyes were red... like she'd been crying."

"Oh do stop talking about her," Lucius moaned, "I don't care if she were to burst into flames."

"No you'd enjoy that."

Lucius made an expression that said that was true, but he didn't reply, hoping Walden would drop the subject and perhaps ask Lucius how he would curse the Gryffindor boy.

"I bet it's that git of a boyfriend of hers," Walden ignored Lucius.

"Walden, I don't care about that filthy mudblood or what she means to you." Lucius shouted.

"What's got little Lucy's knickers in a twist?" Came the musical, high pitched voice of the school's poltergeist, Peeves.

"Feck off, Peeves," Walden said, sounding more like himself.

"Is it because your Waldy-woo has a crush on someone other the YOUUUU?" Peeves sang loudly, following them as they attempted to walk away.

They were only free of Peeves' loud taunts when they finally reached their common room, both now in a fowl mood. Walden went straight to bed, leaving Lucius sitting on the velvet armchair seated by the fire.

* * *

><p>Walden started awake, panicking for a moment as he remembered Mary had asked him to meet her that morning. He had no idea what time it was, as there were no windows in the dungeon, so he got dressed quickly and almost ran all the way outside until he caught a glimpse of her.<p>

There was Mary, his awkward, wild-haired, bucktoothed friend, only now, in her fifth year, she had transformed into a becoming young woman over the summer. Her russet colored hair hung past her shoulders, still the same mess of curls as it had always been, but she'd gotten taller, almost as tall as Walden, and there was something infectious about her slightly crooked smile that made Walden feel like he'd eaten a dozen live butterflies.

"Mary!" Walden caught up to her and wasn't surprised to see she was somewhat filthy. Probably out wrestling the Bugbear, a hobgoblin, that had been caught by Professor Kettleburn. He'd been using it to teach advanced Care of Magical Creatures students what to do when it tries to eat a child, using a very frightened first year as bait. Of course, Mary having a natural talent for beasts, had simply tossed her wand away and fought it to the ground. It was now her favorite past time.

"Hullo Walden, up for a nibble? I'm starving." She smiled that hypnotic smile of hers and walked with him to the Great Hall. Hardly any students were awake so they both sat together at one table and helped themselves to sausages and eggs and beans. Mary spoke through a full mouth about asking Professor Kettleburn if he could bring a Manticore from Persia for the class to study but he had said no.

"Too dangerous 'pparrently," Mary shoveled eggs into her mouth and cleaned her plate, only to get second helpings.

"Mary, the last time someone tried to catch a Manticore they lost all four limbs, barely escaped. Professor Kettleburn's only got two left," Walden looked amused at her exasperation.

"Well o'course that's what 'appened the bloody fool didn't bring a mirror," Mary said as if this was common knowledge.

"Why would he bring a mirror?" Walden indulged her, taking a few gulps of pumpkin juice and attempting not to sputter and choke with laughter as her face dropped.

"Manticore's freeze like stone when they see themselves, of course," She made a wild gesture, "Narcissistic creatures, worse than your friend."

Walden frowned. Lucius. If he saw him and Mary having a laugh he'd never hear the end of it. Mary seemed to pick up on is thought, "Wanna see what I taught the Bugbear to do?" She smiled mischievously.


End file.
